Valkshir
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Valkshir
Region of Origin: Valka, Northern Halmoria
Physical Description: Light skinned, fair haired, and powerfully built. Valkshir eyes range from green to light blue in color, and they usually have blonde to red hair. Male warriors grow their hair long as it is a point of pride for most, men who are priests or gatherers are forced to cut their hair short. The process of inking ones flesh was never really developed among the Valkshir due to lack of dyes in their environment. The Valkshir typically wear furs and leathers, even covering their metal armor in such to ward off the cold. A typical Valkshir cloak is often a whole pelt cut from a white wolf or bear, though some are stitched from the hides of smaller creatures.
Stats:
+1 Constitution
+1 Strength
- 1 Charisma
Bonus Feat: Great Fortitude (+2 Fortitude saving throws)
Bonus Feat: Self-Sufficient (+2 Survival, +2 Heal)
Bonus Feat: Partial Skill Affinity (Spot)
Bonus Feat: Partial Skill Affinity (Listen)
Bonus Feat: Fearless
Skilled (+1 Bonus Skill Points Per Level)
Favored Class: Any
Tips on Playing a Valkshir
- Valkshir are not currently playable in game. All Valkshir in Erameran are covered under Erameran Humans for the time being.
- Valkshir have names drawn from English and Nordic influences of all kinds.
- Valkshir have pale skin and blonde or red hair.
- Valkshir are known as being honourable and supporting their leaders in many different ways.
- Valkshir do not usually tolerate lying or tricks, and any Valkshir who follows Faergol will be an outcast of their tribe.
- Valkshir do not wear tattoos.
- Only respected Valkshir warrior men will wear long hair, never a priest or one who has not earned his place in battle. The exception is the well respected shamans of Leeya.
- Very rarely will any Valkshir be an orphan. Each tribe takes care of its own.
*99% of Valkshir on Eramere now belong to one of three main clans (see below).
Background
Before Halmoria expanded to the lands of Atalan, they went north, in their new imperialistic tendencies. And it was north, where they found the Valkshir. A tall, broad and hardy race of man, they had made a frozen tundra which most would call the worst place imaginable, their beloved home. The Valkshir met these newcomers to their lands openly at first, but when they discovered the Halmorians were out for conquest, the Valkshir responded more brutally then anyone could have expected.
Thus, in 937 IY a war was started that in all honesty should have been avoided by the Halmorians; with the northern lands holding little value, their efforts soon became a wanton blood bath. The imperial legions of Halmoria were ill-equipped for the cold, and were shocked by the pure savagery of the Valkshir warriors. Tales of Valkshir gnawing on their own shields and hurling axes with ease and deadly accuracy spread through the empire like wild fire.
The Valkshir warriors had a fatal flaw however, they were out manned and under supplied. These facts eventually turned the tide of the war in the favor of the Halmorians. The bloodbath continued however for far to long and the Halmorian's constantly searched for a quick way to end the war. They found it in a challenge right practiced by the Valkshir themselves. Valkshir chieftains or “Haegrims” were chosen by right of Halk'Jilkear, a ritualistic battle to the death between the two opponents. When it became clear the Halmorian's were a true threat, the Valkshir united under the single banner of Undor Shardaxe. While it gave the Valkshir a needed unification, it also lead to their subservience to the Halmorians.
Almost a decade had passed since the start of this conflict when Finius Langdren, a Garritor of legendary swordsmanship, was chosen the meet Undor on the field of Halk'Jilkear. The battle raged between the two titans for two days and nights, both seemingly supernatural in endurance and skill. In the end though Finius inflicted so many wounds upon the mighty Haegrim that Undor fell, dying mid-swing of his sword. It was said no blood was left in his body, and that he had fought until the last drop had leaked from his wounds.
With Finius as the victor the Halmorians believed their trials with the Valkshir over. They planned on taxing the land like they had the others they had conquered, and in all honesty they planned to leave the Valkshir to themselves. The Halmorians had not taken into account however, the honor-bond the Valkshir now felt for them. Since they were a united people defeated by another, they felt it was their duty to serve the Halmorians, and they came to the empire's lands in droves.
The people of Halmoria soon found themselves surrounded by gigantic warriors of terrifying temperament and skill. Ever since that time, the Halmorians have endured the presence of the Valkshir for both their usefulness in battle and for the dread of facing the devastating northern people on the field of battle once more. For many years afterwards the Halmorian Empire entitled the Valkshir to have three quarters the rights of normal citizens, allowing for the Valkshir to actually have a say as a a people within the Halmorian Empire.
The Valkshir split from the Halmorian Empire with the natural death of the Emperor. With no leader defeating the emperor, they were no longer bound by tradition and honor to follow the Halmorians, and returned to Valka. On Eramere, they eventually split into three main clans, which can be found below. Please read their descriptions carefully.
Valkshir Society
The Valkshir are a strong and proud people with deep traditions. Foremost the Valkshir honor strength and bravery in battle, and they believe that to die while facing your enemy face to face is the greatest death a man can achieve. And to this end warriors of the Valkshir are the most revered in their society, with great warlords being praised above all else. Valkshir warriors grow their hair long as a point of pride, and in fact are the only ones allowed to do so. Men and women of other professions, by Valkshir traditions, cut their hair short to show respect to those who protect the tribe. Warriors are also responsible for most of the hunting within the tribe, and though war is this most honored profession, the great hunters of the tribes are given great respect as well.
The Valkshir are not all war and death however, the strong hardy people are also known to be quick to laugh and greatly enjoy the telling of tales and the drinking of mead. While the traditional arts of painting, and sculpture are not prominent among the Valkshir, the shaping and carving of bone is very popular. Valkshir bone sculptures are treasured even among the higher classes of Halmoria for their great detail and originality. Also despite their tendencies to war with each other the Valkshir are very family oriented and everyone within the tribe is cared for, in fact one of the responsibilities of conquering Valkshir is that they are to care for the non-combatants of the losing tribe. The Valkshir are also extremely honorable and during times of war will respect their opponents holidays and rites for the dead, going so far as allowing their opponents time to recover their dead and wounded after each day's battle.
Valkshir Clans and Tribes in Eramere
After the fall, and destruction of Atalan, the Valkshir whom had lived among them found themselves in an interesting quandry. The Halmorian Emperor who had acted as their Haegrim for some decades was now dead, and they were no longer bound to honor the Halmorian way of life. A strong aversion to the idea of a singular Haegrim arose, after being indentured to the Halmorians for so long, thus the Valkshir broke off to into their older, more traditional tribes. Some, born in Halmoria, or who left Valka very young, abandoned the old ways completely, becoming completely integrated into the settlement of High Reaches, as many did over the following decades as well.
Of the traditionalist Valkshir at the time, most fell into one of three clans in Eramere. The Vaedros followed the son of Undor Shardaxe in High Reaches, until his natural death. The Vaedros aided in the functioning of the town, but still held on to the traditional religion and rituals of the Valkshir for many years afterwards, living in a rather tight knit community. The Kael'higor, a large tribe of warriors, took to living in the Frostbeard mountains, and still hold dearest the ways of Valka. The Kael'higor are said to be waging a great war with the Frost Titans of those mountains, members of the tribe seen elsewhere are most often on their Vindalsaga, a coming of age journey taken up by both young warriors, and shamans alike. Finally, the Nildervaga, a clan of fierce warrior nomads, dedicated to the ways of the berserker. The Nildervaga became a plague on the land, taking to raiding farming villages, and caravans.
Much has changed during the past eight decades, however.
The Kael'higor
The Kael'higor, are by far the most in tune with the ancient ways of the Valkshir. The clan was started by a young warrior and an elderly shaman from after the the fall of the Halmorian Emperor. That warrior, one Hildenbrew Bragher lead the tribe until he fell in battle with a Frost Titan, and the Kael'higor have been waging a war against the creatures since. The Kael'higor are a hard group of people, but were often found to be hospitable to those who find themselves lost in their territory, aiding people in their journey back out of the mountains. They are proud, but not stupidly so, and used to except trade regularly if some enterprising merchant deigns to make his way into the in hospitable Frostbeard mountains. They also welcomed all those who would also do battle with the Titans in the past, eager to share methods and techniques used to bring down the massive creatures.
The Kael-Higor however have if anything become more withdrawn from the rest of Eramere during the past forty years, traveling further north in the higher reaches of The Frostbeard Mountains. These strong and taciturn people conduct little trade in present years, especially now since Farthur Tovir has passed and no longer visits them. Few ever see the Kael-higor unless they come across one on the vindalsaaga, which have become shorter and fewer occurrences in the last decade or so. Some rumors include that the clan was decimated by a battle with the Titans of the Frostbeard, but those are mostly just stories. What is known however that Halmorian parties that enter those mountains rarely return whole or at all, and they do not speak of attacks by Frost Titans.
The Nildervaga
The Nildervaga have become a problem for all of Eramere, and perhaps in some ignorant peoples eyes, show the Valkshir into a negative light. The Nildervaga are a large nomadic group of Valkshir that follow the migrating game of Eramere, and are known to raid caravans they come upon for supplies, and weapons. It is when winter falls however that the Nildervaga become more then a nuisance upon merchant caravans. In the colds of Winter, when food is scarce the Nildervaga take to raiding farmsteads, and even on two occasions High Reaches itself for food, and gold. Worse, these warriors have become obsessed with the tradition of the berserker, and make for fearsome opponents on the open field. Members of the Nildervaga are rarely seen apart from the clan, but some leave to raid in smaller groups, or to make an individual name for themselves. These members are usually tight lipped about the clan, most of the information on it's inner workings coming from the few exiles of the clan who have escaped with their lives, those who could not attain the berserker state, or the infirm. These last include all players who have the Nildervaga clan status or name.
In recent years, the Nildervaaga are still a threat to those that live outside protective walls, as well as to merchants traveling the roads. A small benefit however, is that they seem to have come to clash with the Karr of the Kargaath hills, and as such, less raids by the terrifying beasts have been reported in recent years. This reclusive clan of raiders is rarely encountered in peaceful terms, so little is known about their leadership or their customs. Tales of their beserkers however continue to inspire awe and terror in children and travelers alike. They are thought to hole up mostly in the northern reaches of the ravines, but no one knows their exact location.
The Vaedros
The Vaedros continued on much as the Valkshir of Atalan did when they first arrived in High Reaches, for many decades within High Reaches. While the Vaedros certainly followed the old ways, they were somewhat more relaxed in such. They became an integral part of the High Reaches community, working as hunters, gatherers, and stalwart defenders of the settlement. The vast majority of the Valkshir in High Reaches belong to the Vaedros to this day.
However, during the past forty years, the large Vaedros clan has nearly ceased to be outside of name, as those who stayed in High Reaches have integrated fully into the multiracial community within the town. Those that have moved, did so to the smaller farming villages within High Reaches' sphere of influence and protection. These Valkshir now pay little attention to their old ways for the most part, and participate in the many varied traditions of the new home they have adopted as there own. They have intermarried with Halmorian, and Lakoi alike, and have in all intents and purposes stopped being wholly Valkshir.
The Volsong
The Volsong was created from a number of Valkshir within Atalan at the time of it's fall. Mostly younger Valkshir, this small tribe traveled far seeking a home of their own, until their end.
Religion of the Valkshir
The Valkshir have an interesting take on the common religions of the world. They worship and pay homage to all of the overseers, lending special attention to both Fraeyal and Memnos. The Valkshir also worship their ancestors, and pay great respects to the dead. Shamans amongst the Valkshir are respected and sought after for advice in many things. It is said among the Valkshir that certain shamans of Leeya can coax the stillborn back to the living, and these men and women are held in the highest regard, and are in fact the only other members of the tribe that are allowed to grow their hair long. The Valkshir also have a great distaste for Faergol, as they see him as a trickster and often blame him for all that goes wrong, the Valkshir even paint the bodies of their dead with symbols they believe will protect them from Faergol's trickery.
Rituals of the Valkshir
Halk'Jilkear- A form of ritualistic combat that takes place in order to challenge the leadership of the tribe. Each combatant is given their Jor or “last rites” before entering for, until one leave victorious both combatants are considered dead. If the survivor is maimed beyond ability to heal then he is given a honorable death and burned as a Haegrim would be.
Nild'Jilkear- A precursor to some Halk'Jilkears, a Nild'Jilkear is a tournament of unarmed combat amongst the best and strongest of tribe that takes place when a leader dies in battle, or of old age, the latter being very rare. At the end of a Nild'Jilkear the two greatest warriors take part in a Halk'Jilkear to determine the leader of the tribe.
Jor- The last rites of the Valkshir which involves cleansing the body and then painting it with what they believe to be wards against Faergol's trickery, whom the Valkshir have little trust in.
Gaermeet- A period of two weeks in the spring where all able bodied hunters are required to bring a kill to the hut of the Haegrim. This ritual was met with much ire in Halmoria when piles of carcasses were placed in front of various town halls.
Vindalsaga - The Vindalsaga is a coming of age rite, that in ancient times sent young warriors, and shamans south, to learn of the world. The rite had gone generally unused for quite a few centuries leading up to the Halmorian wars, only a small number of clans willing to give up any of it's members for any amount of time. Only the most traditionalist of the Valka Valkshir practice the rite, but it has become popular with the Kael'higor of Eramere. The length of the rite is undetermined, the individual Valkshir decide when they have seen enough of the world before returning to their clan. Upon their return however, they must carry with them some relic of their journey, be it a weapon, a book, or a trophy from a kill, the rite is not specific in such, only that something is brought back.
Bear Wrestling - There is much that be demonstrated by wrestling such a powerful animal with no armor or weapons. Firstly being self confidence. A bear wasborn to fight and survive by its natural strength, so must it be to be a true Valkshir warrior. The purpose isn't to kill the bear as one might think, but to subdue it, which takes more skill than just taking the life of the mighty beast. The bear does not fight with the same goal however, it is not unheard of for lives to be lost. This is certainly a lesser known ritual, most often seen at times of great need or change in the life of a great Valkshir Warrior.
Fraeyal's March - In their homeland this yearly tradition of the Valkshir was simple. Those who wished to compete would leave the clan with nothing other than the most simple of clothing, traveling to the highest peak of the mountains during the coldest time of winter. The first to reach the peak and return with a head sized chunk of ice would win the honor of the title "Fraeyal's Blessed" until the following winter. It is common for there to be loss of life to those who cannot endure the extreme temperatures. Those migrated to and born on Eramere attempt to keep this tradition alive as best as possible, making do with local terrain.
